Instruction Manual NGC-Series Telescopes NG-Series Telescopes MEADE.
WARNING! Never use a Meade® NGC™ or NG™ Telescope to look at the Sun! Looking at or near the Sun will cause instant and irreversible damage to your eye. Eye damage is often painless, so there is no warning to the observer that damage has occurred until it is too late. Do not point the telescope or its viewfinder at or near the Sun. Do not look through the telescope or its viewfinder as it is moving. Children should always have adult supervision while observing. CONTENTS Telescope and Features..............
TELESCOPE FEATURES G F E D C B H 1& I 1^ J 1) 1! 1% 1@ 1$ 1# Fig. 1: The NGC telescope. Insets: Tripod leg lock (13), Alternate tray style (14). 1. Dust Cap 2. Optical Tube 3. Tube Bracket 4. Control Panel 5. Attachment Knobs 6. Red Dot VF 7. Eyepiece 8. Diagonal Mirror 9. Focuser Drawtube 4 10. Focus Knobs 11. Tripod Nuts, Bolts 12. Leg Brace Supports 13. Leg Lock (inset) 14. Tray; (inset: Alternate Style Tray) 15. Tripod Legs 16. Base 17.
E 1* 2) Fig. 2: Top view of the NGC base. Fig. 3: Detailed view of the NGC computer control panel. 2# G 1( 2! H 2% 2@ 2^ 2$ I Fig. 4: Detailed view of the focuser assembly and the viewfinder. Inset: Compass/bubble level (19). 6. Red Dot VF 7. Eyepiece 8. Diagonal Mirror 9. Focuser Drawtube 10. Focus Knobs 18. Battery Compartment 19. Compass/Bubble Level (inset) J 1) 20. Slow Motion Control 21. Red Dot battery 22. Alignment Screws 23. Intensity Slider 24. Red Dot Bracket 25.
Telescope and Tripod Features 6 b Dust Cap (not shown): Pull to remove from the dew shield (17, Fig. 1). NOTE: The dust cap should be replaced after each observing session and the power turned off (NGC models only) to the telescope. Verify that any dew that might have collected during the observing session has evaporated prior to replacing the dust cap.
1) Focus Knobs: Use to move the telescope’s focuser assembly to obtain precise image focus. Rotate the focus knobs clockwise to focus on distant objects, and counterclockwise to focus on nearby objects. 1! Tripod Leg Nuts and Bolts (3): Attach the tripod legs (15, Fig. 1) to the tripod head (16, Fig. 1) using these three nuts and bolts. See HOW TO ASSEMBLE YOUR TELESCOPE, page 8, for more information. 1@ Tripod Leg Brace Supports: Stabilizes the tripod and supports the accessory tray.
GETTING STARTED Parts Listing • • • Insert bolt Complete optical tube assembly with dew shield, dust cap, red dot viewfinder, and rack-and-pinion focuser; electronic control panel (NGC models only). Continuously adjustable aluminum tripod and leg braces.
movement of the tube to suit your own preference. See ADJUSTING THE HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL TENSION OF THE OPTICAL TUBE, page 20. 8. Insert the diagonal mirror and eyepiece: Insert the diagonal mirror (8, Fig. 1) into the focuser drawtube (9, Fig. 1) and a low-power eyepiece (e.g., 25mm or 26mm eyepiece) into the diagonal mirror. Tighten the eyepiece and diagonal mirror thumbscrews (25 and 26, Fig. 4) to a firm feel. Note: Some models are supplied with one of two styles of the 90° diagonal mirror.
NOTE: If you have some familiarity with “Go To” telescopes, you might be wondering why you you weren’t asked to enter the time and date, the two most important factors in a Go To system. The reason is that your telescope contains a high-precision internal clock that is set at the factory. The clock has a battery that will hold the time and date information for about 5 years. If you wish to set the time manually or change the battery, see Appendix B for more information.
4. Fig. 13: Move the optical tube until the tube points North on the compass. 5. 6. Note: If the horizontal and/or vertical movement of the optical tube seems to be too loose or too tight, you can adjust the amount of tension in the movement of the optical tube to suit your own preference. See ADJUSTING THE HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL TENSION OF THE OPTICAL TUBE, page 20. NOTE: The control panel locates alignment stars based on the date, time, and location entered.
IMPORTANT NOTE: As you observe Saturn, you will notice that the image moves in the eyepiece. This is because the Earth is rotating. You can use the horizontal and vertical slow motion controls (20, Fig. 2 and F, Fig. 3) to re-center the image in the eyepiece. The image will move much faster if you are using a higher-powered eyepiece such as a 4 mm or the 12mm eyepiece. 7. Next, move the tube upward or downward until the second displacement number also reaches zero.
Fig. 14: The NGC Menu structure. Solar System Mercury Etc. Moon Asteroids Comets Constellations Andromeda Etc. Deep Sky Named Object Galaxies Nebulae Planetary Neb. Etc. Star Named SAO Catalog Double Etc.
How to Move through Menu Options IMPORTANT NOTE: No matter how many levels of menus are traveled, each press of the MODE key moves up a level, until the top level, "Select Item," is reached. Once in the Select Item level, press MODE to return to the topmost level, "Select Item: Object." (NGC Models Only): It is helpful to understand that menu selections are set in a loop.
Object Menu IMPORTANT NOTE: To use the Select and Add features of the Landmark menu, the telescope must be physically located in the same place it was located when the landmark list was created. Also, the optical tube must be pointed at and centered on the first object in the Landmark list. Almost all observing is performed using the Object menu category. (NOTE: Exceptions include Guided Tour and Landmark Survey.) See GO TO SATURN, page 13, for an example of observing using the Object menu.
NOTE: Meteors are fast moving objects that cover large areas of the sky and are usually best observed with the naked eye. NOTE: The equinox and the solstice are the days of the year when the seasons change. These days are determined by the location of the Sun in the sky. Vernal means spring. and location. Find rise and set times for other dates by entering a new date into the "Setup: Date" menu. Moonrise and Moonset calculates the time that the Moon rises or sets on the current date and location.
• Magnification: Scroll through a list of available eyepieces. When an eyepiece is selected, the magnification is calculated. • Suggest: Suggests the best eyepiece for viewing, based on the telescope and the object being viewed. • Focal length: Enter the focal length of you telescope so that the control panel can make the Eyepiece Calc menu calculations. Use UP/DOWN to scroll through the numbers and press Enter after each number is displayed.
ACCESSORIES OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES A wide assortment of professional Meade accessories is available for the NG-Series and NGC-series telescopes. Consult the Meade General Catalog for complete details of these and other accessories. Eyepieces (1.25" barrel diameter): For higher or lower magnifications with the telescopes that accommodate 1.
MAINTENANCE AND SERVICING General Maintenance Horizontal adjustment nut Your telescope is a precision optical instrument designed to yield a lifetime of rewarding applications. Given the care and respect due any precision instrument, your telescope will rarely require factory servicing or maintenance. Maintenance guidelines include: 1. Avoid cleaning the telescope’s optics.
• • • • If inside a warm house or building, move outside. Interior air conditions may distort terrestrial or celestial images, making it difficult, if not impossible, to obtain a sharp focus. For optimal viewing, use the telescope outside in the open air instead of observing through an open or closed window or screen. If viewing a land object on a warm day, heat waves distort the image. See SIMPLE OBSERVATIONS, page 10. For clear viewing of objects, turn the focus knob (10, Fig.
APPENDIX A: ADVANCED FEATURES Celestial Coordinates North Celestial Pole (Vicinity of Polaris) +90 Dec. Star 17 18 19 16 15 14 13 12 11 ation clin De 1 10 9 Earth’s Rotation 20 21 22 23 0 1 2 Right Ascension 3 8 4 7 6 5 Celestial Equator 0 Dec. 2 South Celestial Pole -90 Dec. Fig. 17: Celestial Sphere. A celestial coordinate system was created that maps an imaginary sphere surrounding the Earth upon which all stars appear to be placed.
6. 7. 8. 9. "Right Asc.: 00.00.0" displays. Use UP/DOWN and ENTER to enter the digits for the Right Ascension coordinate of your object. "Declination: +00°.00'" displays. Use UP/DOWN and ENTER to enter the digits for the Declination coordinate of your object. If necessary, use UP/DOWN to change "+" to "." The computer control panel then prompts you to enter the size of the object. This step is optional.
APPENDIX B: ENTERING TIME/DATE MANUALLY How to manually set the date to March 6, 2005 (NGC Models Only): 1. Press ON/OFF to turn on the control panel. 2. Press the button prompted by the control panel to show that the Sun warning has been read and understood. 3. Keep pressing MODE until “Select Item: Object” displays. 4. Keep pressing UP/DOWN until “Select Item: Setup” displays. Press ENTER. 5. Keep pressing UP/DOWN until “Setup: Date” displays. Press ENTER. 6. "Enter Date: 01-JAN-2003" displays.
APPENDIX C: BATTERIES Replace the red dot Viewfinder’s battery with a CR2032 lithium battery. The battery is located on the bottom of the red dot viewfinder.You may need to slide your fingernail or a screwdriver blade underneath the battery and then slide it out. Replace the internal clock’s battery with a CR2023 lithium battery. This battery is located in the battery compartment. Both batteries are available from Meade, photographic supply houses or any place lithium batteries are sold.
BASIC ASTRONOMY In the early 17th century, Italian scientist Galileo, using a crude telescope smaller than your NG or NGC, turned it to look towards the sky instead of distant trees and mountains. What he saw, and what he realized about what he saw, forever changed the way mankind thought of the universe.
Venus is about nine-tenths the diameter of Earth. As Venus orbits the Sun, observers can see it go through phases (crescent, half and full) much like those of the Moon. The disk of Venus appears white as Sunlight is reflected off the thick cloud cover that completely obscures any surface detail. Mars is about half the diameter of Earth, and appears through the telescope as a tiny reddish-orange disk. It may be possible to see a hint of white at one of the planet’s Polar ice caps.
MEADE LIMITED WARRANTY Every Meade telescope, spotting scope, and telescope accessory is warranted by Meade Instruments Corporation ("Meade") to be free of defects in materials and workmanship for a period of ONE YEAR from the date of original purchase in the U.S.A. and Canada. Meade will repair or replace a product, or part thereof, found by Meade to be defective, provided the defective part is returned to Meade, freight-prepaid, with proof of purchase.
